Evaluation of Teen Connection Project for Trans and Gender Minority Youth

NCT06587139 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 23676
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 56
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The purpose of this project is to develop and evaluate an online mentoring and skill-building program for transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) ages 14 to 18, the Teen Connection Project (TCP). The TCP includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults (who are also mentors). TGMY will be paired with a TGM adult mentor, based on their shared interests. Mentors and mentees will participate together in each session along with other mentors and mentees. Mentors will direct activities and discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills. The TCP sessions will include one-on-one mentor-mentee break-out sessions.

Conditions

Recreational Drug Use; Sexual Violence; Victimisation; Depressive Symptoms; Anxiety; Suicidal Ideation; Risk-Taking; Alcohol Drinking

Keywords

Risk-Taking; Sexual Behavior; Sex Offenses; Intimate Partner Violence; Crime Victims

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (10)

• Alcohol Use (Youth-reported)

  Youth Risk Behavior Survey Questionnaire (YRBSS). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 6, Higher scores = worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Drug Use (Youth-reported)

  YRBSS. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 5, Higher scores = worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Sexual Risk-Taking (Youth-reported)

  Researcher-created items, adapted items with input from a youth advisory board from, YRBSS, and Sexual Risk Taking Survey. Minimum Value = 1, Maximum Value = 7, Higher scores = worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Dating and Sexual Violence (DSV) victimization-1 (Youth-reported)

  Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• DSV perpetration-1 (Youth-reported)

  MARSHA. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• DSV victimization-2 (Youth-reported)

  CTS-2: SGM-Specific Intimate partner Violence (IPV) Tactics Scale \[CTS = Conflict Tactics Scale, SGM = sexual and gender minority\]. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum value = 3, Higher scores = worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• DSV perpetration-2 (Youth-reported)

  CTS-2: SGM-Specific IPV Tactics Scale. Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = Worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Depressive symptoms (Youth-reported)

  Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents (PHQ-9). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = Worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Anxiety symptoms (Youth-reported)

  Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener (GAD-7). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 3, Higher scores = Worse outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Suicidality (Youth-reported)

  Suicidal Ideation Attributes Scale (SIDAS). Minimum Value = 0, Maximum Value = 10, Higher scores = Better outcomes

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

Other Outcomes (7)

• Social-Emotional Competence (Youth-reported)

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Gender Minority Stress (Youth-reported)

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

• Outness (Youth-reported)

  Time 1 (baseline, pre-intervention), Time 2 (immediately post-intervention), Time 3 (3 months post-intervention)

Study Arms (3)

Treatment

EXPERIMENTAL

The Teen Connection Project (TCP) is theoretically grounded, and follows best practices for effective health behavior prevention. It includes seven 90-minute sessions with group and one-on-one mentoring components. The intervention is facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority adults (i.e., any identity other than cisgender).

Behavioral: Teen Connection Project (TCP)

Waitlist control

NO INTERVENTION

Provide check-ins, provide resources, and offer program after intervention and measurement has been completed.

Mentors

NO INTERVENTION

Mentors complete a two-day training and post-training survey, facilitate programming, and complete post-session surveys. A subset of the mentors will complete exit interviews.

Interventions

Teen Connection Project (TCP) BEHAVIORAL

The Teen Connection Project (TCP) includes seven 90-minute sessions facilitated by transgender and/or gender minority (TGM) adults. Each transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) will be paired with a TGM adult mentor based on TGMYs' rank-ordered preference for mentors. The research team seeks to match mentors \& mentees such that each TGMY is matched with one of their top 3 preferred mentors. Mentors and mentees participate together in each session along with other mentors \& mentees. Facilitators direct activities/discussion to promote TGMY social-emotional skills acquisition and facilitate mentor-mentee conversations. TCP sessions also include mentor-mentee breakout sessions where mentors share challenges they personally faced as TGMY and how they overcame them. Break-out discussions focus on self-acceptance, coming out, dating questions, hopes and goals for the future, \& how other marginalized social identities, such as race and ethnicity, intersect with identifying as TGMY.

Also known as: TCP

Treatment

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years+
• Gender Eligibility Details: Transgender and/or gender minority (i.e., any identity other than cisgender)
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• identify as transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) (i.e., any identity other than cisgender)
• be between the ages of 14 to 18 years
• read and speak English
• live in the United States
• report consistent access to a phone, tablet, and/or computer with high-speed internet access/Wi-Fi (which represents 90+% of youth in the United States)
• report an ability to attend seven, 90-minute online sessions at pre-determined times
• pass an assent quiz
• report moderate to high levels of internalized transphobia

You may not qualify if:

• be at imminent risk for suicide (e.g., intent to kill themselves in the immediate future) as determined by an initial online suicide screening regarding their past month suicide risk (the Suicide Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised \[SBQ-R\]; modified to assess past month risk)
• demonstrate current psychosis as determined by the Prodromal Questionnaire; modified to just focus on visual and auditory symptoms
• be 30 years old or older
• identify as transgender and/or gender minority (i.e., any identity other than cisgender)
• not be currently experiencing substance use disorder or mental health challenges

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Michigan: lead
• University of Rhode Island: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

[online program, administered by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln]

Lincoln, Nebraska, 68508, United States

Location

Related Publications (16)

• CDC (2023). Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/index.htm

  BACKGROUND

• Turchik JA, Garske JP. Measurement of sexual risk taking among college students. Arch Sex Behav. 2009 Dec;38(6):936-48. doi: 10.1007/s10508-008-9388-z. Epub 2008 Jun 19.

  PMID: 18563548 BACKGROUND

• Rothman EF, Cuevas CA, Mumford EA, Bahrami E, Taylor BG. The Psychometric Properties of the Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA) With a Nationally Representative Sample of U.S. Youth. J Interpers Violence. 2022 Jun;37(11-12):NP9712-NP9737. doi: 10.1177/0886260520985480. Epub 2021 Jan 5.

  PMID: 33399026 BACKGROUND

• Rothman EF, Paruk J, Cuevas CA, Temple JR, Gonzales K. The Development of the Measure of Adolescent Relationship Harassment and Abuse (MARSHA): Input From Black and Multiracial, Latinx, Native American, and LGBTQ+ Youth. J Interpers Violence. 2022 Mar;37(5-6):2126-2149. doi: 10.1177/0886260520936367. Epub 2020 Jul 5.

  PMID: 32627640 BACKGROUND

• Dyar C, Messinger AM, Newcomb ME, Byck GR, Dunlap P, Whitton SW. Development and Initial Validation of Three Culturally Sensitive Measures of Intimate Partner Violence for Sexual and Gender Minority Populations. J Interpers Violence. 2021 Aug;36(15-16):NP8824-NP8851. doi: 10.1177/0886260519846856. Epub 2019 May 5.

  PMID: 31057032 BACKGROUND

• Spitzer RL, Kroenke K, Williams JB, Lowe B. A brief measure for assessing generalized anxiety disorder: the GAD-7. Arch Intern Med. 2006 May 22;166(10):1092-7. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.10.1092.

  PMID: 16717171 BACKGROUND

• Richardson LP, McCauley E, Grossman DC, McCarty CA, Richards J, Russo JE, Rockhill C, Katon W. Evaluation of the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 Item for detecting major depression among adolescents. Pediatrics. 2010 Dec;126(6):1117-23. doi: 10.1542/peds.2010-0852. Epub 2010 Nov 1.

  PMID: 21041282 BACKGROUND

• van Spijker BA, Batterham PJ, Calear AL, Farrer L, Christensen H, Reynolds J, Kerkhof AJ. The suicidal ideation attributes scale (SIDAS): Community-based validation study of a new scale for the measurement of suicidal ideation. Suicide Life Threat Behav. 2014 Aug;44(4):408-19. doi: 10.1111/sltb.12084. Epub 2014 Feb 24.

  PMID: 24612048 BACKGROUND

• Zhou M, Ee J. Development and validation of the Social Emotional Competence Questionnaire (SECQ). The International Journal of Emotional Education. 2012;4(2):27-42.

  BACKGROUND

• Hidalgo MA, Petras H, Chen D, Chodzen G. The Gender Minority Stress and Resilience Measure: Psychometric Validity of an Adolescent Extension. Clin Pract Pediatr Psychol. 2019;7(3):278-290. doi: 10.1037/cpp0000297.

  PMID: 33224698 BACKGROUND

• Meidlinger, P. C., & Hope, D. A. (2014). Differentiating disclosure and concealment in measurement of outness for sexual minorities: The Nebraska Outness Scale. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4), 489.

  BACKGROUND

• Riggle, E. D., Mohr, J. J., Rostosky, S. S., Fingerhut, A. W., & Balsam, K. F. (2014). A multifactor lesbian, gay, and bisexual positive identity measure (LGB-PIM). Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 1(4), 398.

  BACKGROUND

• University of Connecticut and the Human Rights Campaign. 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ Youth Mental Health. https://www.thetrevorproject.org/survey-2022/

  BACKGROUND

• Turchik JA, Garske JP. Sexual risk survey. In: Fisher TD, Davis CM, Yarber WL, Davis SL, eds. Handbook of sexuality-related measures. 3rd ed. Routledge; 2010:600-602.

  BACKGROUND

• Tolan PH, McDaniel HL, Richardson M, Arkin N, Augenstern J, DuBois DL. Improving understanding of how mentoring works: Measuring multiple intervention processes. J Community Psychol. 2020 Aug;48(6):2086-2107. doi: 10.1002/jcop.22408. Epub 2020 Jul 11.

  PMID: 32652575 BACKGROUND

• Keller TE, Drew AL, Herrera C, Clark-Shim H, Spencer R. Do program practices matter for mentors?: How implementation of empirically supported program practices is associated with youth mentoring relationship quality. J Community Psychol. 2023 Nov;51(8):3194-3215. doi: 10.1002/jcop.23019. Epub 2023 Feb 25.

  PMID: 36840743 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Recreational Drug Use; Depression; Anxiety Disorders; Suicidal Ideation; Risk-Taking; Alcohol Drinking; Sexual Behavior

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior; Behavioral Symptoms; Mental Disorders; Suicide; Self-Injurious Behavior; Drinking Behavior

Study Officials

• Katie M Edwards, PhD

  University of Michigan

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Professor, School of Social Work Director, Interpersonal Violence Research Laboratory (IVRL)

Model Details: transgender and/or gender minority youth (TGMY) (n=80) are randomly assigned to a treatment (n=40) or wait-list (n=40) control condition.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 9, 2024
• First Posted: September 19, 2024
• Study Start: July 22, 2024
• Primary Completion: June 3, 2025
• Study Completion: June 3, 2025
• Last Updated: November 5, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-11

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ANALYTIC CODE
• Time Frame: Data will become available in December of 2025. It will be available for 7 years until December of 2032.
• Access Criteria: The PI intends to share the aggregated, de-identified quantitative survey data if users commit to the following: (a) using the data only for research purposes and not to identify any individual participant; (b) securing the data using appropriate computer technology; and (c) destroying or returning the data after analyses are completed. If the researcher agrees, in writing, to these stipulations, the PI will send him/her the dataset prepared using SPSS 24.0 (or the latest version available). The prepared data set will not include identifying information from any participant. The master list will be destroyed as soon as participants' data are linked across time. Research participants will be identified by number. A detailed codebook will be prepared and supplied with the data indicating information about each variable as well as how composite scale scores are calculated. The syntax for any data imputations will also be provided.

Locations

US (1)